JUNEAU, Alaska – A Coast Guard Station Juneau small boat crew rescued a 32-year-old man after his homemade water craft began taking on water in Gastineau channel near Juneau, Wednesday.

The station’s 25-foot Response Boat-Small crew deemed the inflatable, duct taped craft unsafe and transferred the man, his dog and the craft to Douglas Harbor in Juneau.

Coast Guard Sector Juneau watchstanders received a report from Lt. Joseph Schlosser, an off-duty Coast Guardsman, that there was a man paddling a homemade watercraft in the Gastineau channel. Watchstanders diverted the station’s RB-S which was underway in the area.

“I noticed the craft in the channel and I could tell the man was not wearing a life jacket and the craft was not safe,” said Schlosser. “I contacted the sector command center and the Station’s small boat crew responded quickly and helped the man to safety.”

The man was reportedly trying to get to Point Bishop at the entrance of Taku Inlet and was not wearing a life jacket.

Weather on scene was reported as calm seas and nine mile per hour winds.